Photo: Courtesy of Nike

While the world has been distracted by COVID-19, fires in Australia at the beginning of 2020, record wildfires in California and flooding in Africa as well as many tropical storms have warned us that climate change is real.

It is a challenge that is beyond the scope of any single country or organization, and so sportswear companies have started to do their part.

"Fires raging across the west coast [of the US] hit very close to home and are a reminder of just how real and pressing this issue is," Noel Kinder, chief sustainability officer of Nike, said in a recent webinar. 

"We can't just wait for solutions. We have to create them."

The company, along with many other sportswear giants including Adidas, Anta, Li-Ning among others, has already started using recyclable plastic materials to make clothes and shoes. 

Aside from products manufacturing, those sportswear companies are also trying to reduce materials used in packaging.

"The complexity of packaging can often be overlooked - but it's critical. It protects products, sends a message to consumers and is vital in reducing impact," said Kinder. "We are phasing out single use plastic bags from retail globally in 2021."